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HISTORY OF WEDDINGS
Since June is the favorite month of the year to tie the proverbial
knot, it is only opportune to travel back in time and to present
wedding traditions and how they apply to our modern days.
The first marriages, cavemen style, were by capture. The groom
would kidnap his bride from her tribe with the help of another
warrior, today's best man. The purpose of this "best man"
was to fight other "suitors" and to prevent resistance
from the bride's family. Legend has it that the groom would fight
other suitors by holding his bride in the left hand while fighting
with his sword in the right hand. Hence: the modern procession--
bride on left, groom on right.
Another ancient marriage style, still common in various countries
today, was by purchase. The bride would be traded for land, other
properties, social status, or political alliances. The word "wedding"
has its root meaning from the Anglo-Saxon word "wedd"
meaning wager. The groom actually paid the bride's father!
In ancient Rome, couples were married particularly for political
alliances. Since divorce was a "no-no", great care was
taken in choosing the bride. Once decided to marry, the future
spouses would show their consent of marriage by holding hands
in public.
| As a public pledge
that the marriage contract would be honored, the groom would
traditionally give his bride-to-be a betrothal ring depicting
joined hands. |
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Early rings were fashioned in iron,
but eventually replaced by gold about the 2nd century AD. Ergo:
the engagement ring.
The Romans wore the ring on the third finger
of the left hand because they believed that the vein in the third
finger ran directly to the heart: consequently believing that
wearing the ring on that finger joined the couples hearts and
destiny. Therefore: Wedding rings worn on the third finger of
the left hand.
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The wedding ceremony
would be held at the bride's home. Her mother would dress
her in a long straight tunic and a belt containing a Heracles
Knot, which only the newly wed husband could untie. The bride
would wear a veil topped with a wreath of flowers she'd gathered.
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Therefore: the wedding
gown and veil. During the ceremony, the bride and groom, standing
before a priest, would hold hands speaking their consent of marriage
in public. Consequently: the wedding vows. After the public consent,
the newly weds would sit facing the altar as the priest made an
offering to Jupiter (Juno's husband), supreme deity of the Roman
pantheon and protector of Rome, by offering a cake which was cut
and eaten by the bride and groom and later passed to the wedding
guests after the dinner. Thus: the wedding cake. After the extravagant
wedding dinner, the affair would conclude with a formal procession
to the home of the groom, where the Roman bride displaying a virgin's
reluctance to leave her family home, kicked and screamed as her
new husband carried her over the threshold on the wedding night.
Voilą: the carrying over the threshold.
It is very easy to conclude that many of our modern day wedding
traditions have been adopted from the ancient Romans, with one
major exception: modern weddings are not necessarily for political
alliances, but for emotional unions.
Connie Tripodi
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